Facing insecurities and heartbreaks with our best friend Billie Eilish, live in concert

BUKIT Jalil was painted with a sea of neon swags and mascara clad fits, fashioned by both youthful buds and the young at heart in true music festival mode. 

A trending tide evident when you have one of pop culture’s most influential darlings (to date) Billie Eilish coming over to perform a concert here in the city last night.

Of course, there were tears, sweat and flashes of latent teenage angst displayed by concertgoers geared up to fully embrace the event.

Some fans were said to have made their way and camped out in front of the stadium as early as 4am on the day of the concert – on a weekday, no less – even though ticket holders would only able to enter the arena more than 14 hours later.

Punchy and kinetic

How else could one describe such an energetic spectacle?

By now, if social media is anything to go by, you must have already been made aware that anyone with a seated ticket may not have been able to enjoy the performance fully because the stage was too far from their seats. 

This was a much different experience for those, like the writer, who were present in the standing zone. 

It felt as though Billie and her best friend and brother Finneas (on the guitar) was hosting a slumber party filled with a roller-coaster of emotional highs among friends, with every track being played LIVE. Drummer Andrew Marshall gave an equally great performance that was able to maintain the pumping energy from the audience that night. 

Perhaps the organisers would have had better reviews if the concert was hosted in a much smaller venue where fans were not so visibly spaced out. 

A lot of questions were raised as other concert halls and spaces used for the pop star’s tour, much like the Seoul performance, had better layout plans.

Some social media influencers had even raised the matter on their own platforms, with ticket prices being exorbitant for many.

*Social media personality Khairul Aming took the time to share on his Twitter of his trouble hearing the music during the live concert.

That said, did the whole situation stop people from having fun? 

Certainly not(!) with the stillness and humidity of Malaysia’s hot air being cut with the screaming voices of fans singing at the top of their lungs, their smartphones lighting up the view.

Billie herself had quipped that she was not expecting the energy of the concert just after a few songs in.

A not so strange addiction

Fans were serenaded and thrilled with over 20 songs by Billie not just from her recent album ‘Happier Than Ever’, but other favourites from her discography as well such as Lovely, Bad Guy, When the Party’s Over, Bellyache, Ocean Eyes… we could go on.

Suffice to say it was a satisfactory one-hour long concert as far as live performance are concerned, where it managed to serve some much needed escape and therapy, free of real-world pressures and stresses.

It’s not so strange to feel so connected with the singer’s music.

Whether it be dealing with loss, regrets, bad decisions in personal, professional and social situations, Billie’s songs have helped fans get through the most difficult of times especially during the pandemic. Which gave the concert a special meaning for some more than others.

Aside from the sense of healing intentions that most were seeking, chemistry did spark among like minded individuals sharing the same interest in music. The writer witnessed a couple of meet-cutes springing spontaneously across the standing zone floor, and it's not entirely wrong to celebrate this fact.

One key highlight apart from what was happening on stage that needs to be acknowledged is the grungy and badass editing treatments for the live feed that was displayed on the LCD screens. 

It helped elevate the rebellious mood of certain songs being performed, especially when matched with the distinctive sound and lighting. 

For this, it was a shame that the seated audience were not able to fully immerse themselves in the vigour of the performance put out by Billie and Finneas.

Organisers may want to really take note of this with more shows coming up, as they would not want today's cancel culture to override what these concerts are aiming to produce and that many crave in their concert-going experience. 

The fact that the 20-year-old American singer and songwriter was gracious enough to check in with the crowd, interacting with fans on how to engage and enjoy the concert better helped soften certain irritations. 

Her asking security to check if people were hydrated well enough was a sweet gesture too, with paramedics spread out across the venue to provide assistance when needed.

Billie Eilish’s ‘Happier Than Ever World Tour’ closed with the album’s eponymous song, which wrapped up the night well enough for fans to keep the concert safe in their own mental and physical diaries.

We hope that the time spent in KL was memorable enough for Billie and Finneas to return for a second time for their one-of-a-kind fans in Malaysia. – The Vibes, August 19, 2022

* Next, the tour will be heading off to Singapore, Bangkok and Tokyo, before going to New Zealand and Australia in September to end its run.